Finding pitchers a gamble

June 10, 2005

JEREMIAH BARTZ/Frontiersman sports editor

PALMER - The Mat-Su Miners had arguably the best pitching staff of the Alaska Baseball League last season.

Why?

Because, while recruiting, the Miners took a few calculated gambles. Fortunately for Mat-Su, the Miners found a couple of aces.

Chris Mason was hurt for part of his sophomore season at North Carolina-Greensboro, but finished his summer 7-1 with a 2.09 earned run averaged and 56 strikeouts.

Chris Malone had pitched just two seasons at the junior college level at San Joaquin Delta, but showed he had big league stuff by posting a 6-0 record with a 1.99 ERA and 56 strikeouts.

Jeff Gilmore logged a ton of innings at Stanford. He was used sparingly at the beginning of the season, and exploded for the Miners late. He was 3-1 with a 0.67 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 27 innings.

"Pretty good gambles," Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher said.

Now as the Miners prepare for their season opener on June 9, the roster of pitchers is similar to what the Miners had last season. There is a good mix, with great potential.

There is Louisville sophomore B.J. Rosenberg and College of Charleston sophomore Josh McLaughlin, who have each shown great potential at the Division I level.

There is Brett Bruneel, another San Joaquin Delta product who, like Malone, has a chip on his shoulder, and is ready to show he has big league capability.

There is Haley Winter, a hurler coming back for his second summer with the Miners, who has logged more than 100 innings for the University of California-Riverside.

There is Kevin Duke, who has seen little action for the Oklahoma. The same college coach who recommended Duke, advised the Miners to pick up Tennessee right-hander Joey Andrews.

Andrews allowed just one earned run in 14 innings of late-season work for Mat-Su.

"It's hard to tell when you look at the numbers. (Last year) we took some calculated gambles on guys like Mason and Malone," Mat-Su head coach Jimmy Smith said. "Mason had been injured and Malone had something to prove to the world. You get these guys in a pitcher's ballpark with the defense we'll have, they are capable of putting up those types of numbers."

The Miners currently have 13 pitchers on the roster. There are 10 right-handers, and three southpaws - Duke, California-Riverside sophomore Marc Rzepcyzynski and East Tennessee State junior Steven Calicutt.

Winter and San Diego State redshirt sophomore Cody Campbell return for a second season in Alaska. Winter posted a 3.86 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 18 innings last season. Campbell excelled out of the bullpen with a 1.85 ERA, 15 strikeouts and three saves.

Smith said Winter will be used sparingly early in the season, to rest a tired arm. But like Gilmore last season, Winter could establish himself as an important part of the starting rotation during a potential pennant race.

"He has had a breakout season, but we are going to have to manage his innings," Smith said. "It's a situation we are going to have to manage, but he could be phenomenal."

Campbell could have an opportunity to become the Miners' closer.

"If he really figures things out, he could be that guy to shut the door," Smith said.

Early in the season, Smith said, Rosenberg, Bruneel, McLaughlin, Duke and Illinois sophomore Brandon Murphy will contend for spots in the rotation.

McLaughlin has worked out of the pen for the COC, but has 58 strikeouts in 25 appearances. Opponents have hit just .200 against McLaughlin. Rosenberg is 5-4 in 14 starts. Bruneel is 7-4 with four complete games.